PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE COUNCIL (PHECC) PROVIDES UPDATED PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR EMERGENCY CARE TEAMS

Penthrox®, known as ‘The Green Whistle’, is now included on guidelines and could transform the management of emergency pain relief in the Republic of Ireland

Galen Ltd. have announced that the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) in Ireland has issued its new pain management clinical practice guidelines for emergency care teams and now includes the inhaled pain relief medication, Penthrox® (methoxyflurane).1 -3 The aim of these guidelines is to provide a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to how patients receive optimal care in the pre-hospital setting, so today’s updated guidelines are a welcome development for healthcare professionals managing trauma pain across the Republic of Ireland.

Penthrox® is a patient controlled, inhaled medication, which provides rapid relief from acute pain.4 Penthrox® has been extensively used for many years by emergency medicine teams in Australia and New Zealand to provide rapid and effective pain relief to patients with trauma related injuries.

1. ® is easy to use and relieves moderate to severe pain quickly, allowing healthcare professionals to provide a more immediate and effective pain relief and a better patient experience.” He concluded, “Availability of Penthrox® in the Republic of Ireland and its inclusion on the new Pain Management Clinical Practice Guidelines is an important step forward towards achieving better acute pain relief for our patients.”

Professor Sir Keith Porter, Professor in Clinical Traumatology and Clinical Lead for Major Trauma, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, stated “I congratulate PHECC for taking the initiative with the provision of emergency pain relief of patients suffering moderate to severe trauma in the Republic of Ireland. Penthrox® has an excellent safety profile and unlike many other analgesics it does not depress respiration, cause hypotension or alter level of consciousness. Its rapid onset and offset time makes it an ideal analgesic option for use in first patient contact, whether in pre-hospital care or by the triage nurse in Emergency Departments.”

While Dr Mark Forrest, a consultant in Anaesthesia & Critical Care and Clinical Director in Urgent and Emergency care in the UK, noted “Penthrox® fills a very important gap in our management of moderate to severe pain, where cannulation has not yet been achieved or is impossible. The simplicity of use, the effectiveness and the safety make this an extremely useful option for providing high quality care at the earliest opportunity to our patients. I have been astounded how effective this agent can be, even during the extrication of casualties with serious trauma at road traffic collisions for example.”

Galen’s Managing Director, David Bennett, commented: “We are delighted Penthrox® is not only available to use in the Republic of Ireland, but has also been recognised as a crucial element of the PHECC pain ladder. At a time when emergency departments and ambulance teams are experiencing significant pressures, we are excited about the potential of Penthrox® to improve service efficiencies as well as patient care.”